Equine Chiropractic Care

EQUINE CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

For nearly 17 years Dr. Katz has been certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. He has had an active horse practice and had traveled along the east coast treating these equine athletes. He was one of the first 25 people in the country to be certified by this organization. Dr. Katz has given over 10,000 adjustments to horses over the seventeen years. He has traveled to England to take advanced training in saddle fitting and re-flocking, and was trained by Master Saddler David May. 

Training History

In assessing your horse, revisiting your horse’s training and history helps ascertain where problems may exist. The following issues are reviewed with each consultation:

Chiropractic palpation of areas around the entire spine will reveal muscle tenderness, spasms and reveal any loss of range of motion, that expose underlying skeletal distortion. Dr. Katz also tests for proper muscle tone & fitness.

Saddle Fit & Placement

So much more is known about good saddle fit today. Dr Katz has been fitting saddles for almost as long as he has been an equine chiropractor, since 1990.   Dr. Katz is especially sensitive to these issues, as ill fitting saddles are so often the cause of spinal distress and physiological changes.  Chronic saddle pressure is a lot like a bed sore.  The pressure causes an interuption of blood flow, oxygen and waste products.  A poor fitting saddle can affect certain muscles from properly moving.  When the horses back works correctly and is pain free, forward motion is effortless and supports the rider.  When he uses his back incorrectly due to saddle issues, he will have rough gaits, difficulty moving forward, hollowing and inverting his back.  His head position will be high and stiff, and some horses will be behind the bit.  Both of these positions are evasions to protect his sore back from the saddle.  

Dr. Katz will check the balance basics of the following areas with saddle pads and without:

Freedom of the shoulder • Balance through the middle
Worn spots • Rocking • Bridging • Tree size
Lateral and longitudinal stability

For the horses that are difficult to fit, and you just cannot  seem to find anything that works, Dr. Katz will show you the proper use of pads.

 

Biomechanical Problem Solving

Just as with humans, spinal distortion is a complex puzzle that is often solved through biomechanical analysis. Dr. Katz. is highly trained in this analysis and actively helps riders understand the problem areas of their horses so that one can monitor and design work patterns accordingly.